Cambodia: Vice removes altered photos of Khmer Rouge victims

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The article drew severe criticism from readers who said the artist had added a smile to some of the photos. On Monday, Vice said it had removed the story and photos from its website.

The article “including photos of Khmer Rouge victims who manipulated Loughrey without coloring,” Vice said in a statement.

“The story didn’t come together [our] editorial standards, “the publication added.” We regret the error and will investigate how this failure of the editorial process came about. ”

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Despite the repeal, Cambodian authorities have strongly objected to the use of the images, After a government investigation, it was found that several photos had been altered to add a smile.

“The alteration of these photos shows a total insensitivity to the people who have died, the families who have had to go on without their loved ones, and the historical truth itself,” Phoeurng Sackona, Cambodia’s Minister of Culture and Fine Arts, said in a statement. . to CNN Business on Monday.

“We understand and respect artistic freedom. In this case, however, the artist has clearly violated the memories of the dead and robbed the victims of the Khmer Rouge of their dignity. The distorted photos have unnecessarily traumatized the families and our nation again.”

The minister now calls on the artist “to immediately stop spreading these gruesome images and specifically to remove them from his website and out of public view.”

Loughrey did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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Over the weekend, a petition was circulated online demanding that Vice remove the article. Monday it had collected more than 7,000 signatures. Campaigners called on Loughrey to “please stop using photos of Cambodian genocide victims for your experimentation and entertainment.”

On Monday, they noted that although the story has since been withdrawn, “there has been none Apologies from Vice or Mr. Loughrey. ‘

There is now a new petition from the same group demanding an apology to the Cambodian community.
At least 1.7 million people – nearly a quarter of Cambodia’s population – died of execution, disease, starvation and forced labor under the Khmer Rouge regime that ruled the country between 1975 and 1979.
In 2018, nearly four decades after the brutal regime’s collapse, a UN-backed tribunal ruled that the Khmer Rouge had committed genocide.

– CNN’s Helen Regan contributed to this report.

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